Vegetable and fruit counter



E. E. BOONE.

VEGETABLE AND FRUIT COUNTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14, 1921.

1,419,209. PatentedJune 13,1922.

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ELSWORTI-I E. BOOINE, OF ANDERSON. INDIANA, ASSIGNOR' OF ONE-HALF T DANIEL DAVIS NEAL, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA.

VEGETABLE AND FRUIT COUNTER.

Specification of Letters Eel-tent.

Patented June 13, 1922.

Application filed February 14, 1921. Serial No. 444,831.

Be it known that I, lGLswon'rI-r ll. Boone, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Anderson, county of Madison, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Vegetable and Fruit Counter; and I do hereby declare that theft'ollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals refer to like parts.

This invention relates to a combination display and vending cabineted counter.

The chief object of this invention is to provide a counter with suitable display compartments, storage compartments and other means from which fruits, vegetables and the like may be vended more, readily and which will display the same in a novel manner.

One of the chief features of the invention consists in the provision of supporting means whereby dirt and foreign matter will be separated from the vended fruit and vegetables and collected in a drawer or container which may be readily removed. for emptying purposes.

The full nature of this invention will be understood from the accompanying draw in 's and the following description and claim.

in the drawings Fig. l is a front elevational view of a vending cabineted counter embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2. is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1 and in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line of Fig. 2 and in the direction of the arrows. I

In the drawings there is provided a suitable base and positioned above the same and in spaced relation therewith is a vending counter 11. Between said base and counter top is a transverse partition or back 12. The forward portion of the counter is supported upon the base by suitable panel means 13 which, in the present instance, lies substantially parallel to the transverse partition 12.

aid partition provides a portion at the rearward side of the counter which is sub-divided in any suitable manner as by the inclined shelves 113 into a plurality of compartments 14, which compartments are adapted to contain bagging, wrapping material or articles to be vended, if so desired. I

The forward portion of the cabinet is also divided and provided with a plurality of spaced relation with each other.

compartments which are in the form of drawers, which drawers are provided with a back 15 and a front face 16, the top being open. Thefront face 16 is divided into two parts and the upper portion, as well as the greater part of the panel 16, is cut away to form an opening 17 closed by suitable transparent means, such as a glass plate 18 and, if desired, additional means such as a screening 19 may be provided. Positioned within the base of. the drawer compartment 20 formed by the back 15 and front paneling 16, is a grate composed of the bars 21 in However, any other suitable and convenient supporting and interstitial or perforated means may be provided, so long as the same is adapted to support fruit and vegetables in the drawer compartment 20 but to permit the dirt and foreign particles therewith to pass through between the bars or through the interstiees of the support and be collected therebeneath.

The compartment drawer, of course, is provided with the usual side plates 22. Pivotally supported on the side plates 22 are one or more rollers 23, which are bearable upon the base plate 10, thereby making the withdrawal of the drawer compartment from the cabinet very easy. Also supported upon the side plate 22 and slightly above said rollers is a supporting bar or ledge 24 and slidably supported upon a pair of 0pposite ledges is a drawer 25 provided with the handle 26 and a front closure portion 27, said drawer being receivable by an opening 28 in the panel 16. It will be readily apparent that the dirt and foreign matter which falls from the fruit or vegetables and the like will collect in the dirt drawer beneath the vending and display compartment hereinbefore described, and said dirt drawer can then be readily removed from the compartment to remove the dirt therefrom. Thus, a compartment drawer could be filled from a sack of potatoes by dumping the potatoes into the compartment 20, the dirt sifting through said compartment and collecting in the bottom drawer 25. Heretofore it has been necessary when displaying potatoes and the like to handle each potato separately to deposit the same in a display compartment.

If desired the base 10 may be provided with additional roller means 126 which will assist in the sliding movement of the drawer compartment. The drawer is provided with suitable handle means 127, as shown. The

' base does not necessarily have to rest upon the floor but, as in the present instance said base may be provided with feet 128 or standard means which may be protected. by suitable side projections the mop boards 29.

In order to increase the effectiveness of the display suitable illuminating means is positioned in juxtaposition to each of the compartments and, in the present instance is suitably supported on the bottom of the counter 11 and in the invention herein shown said source of illumination is illustrated as an incandescence lamp 30. In order to prevent the complete withdrawal of the display compartment 20 a suitable latch 31 is positioned adjacent the top edge and extends downwardly into said compartment where it is adapted to engage the back of the compartment drawer when the drawer is removed from the cabinet.

The foregoing display cabinet and counter thus protects the fruits and vegetables from casual injury and handling by the customers and, therefore reduces the loss from thettt and damage to a minimum as well as attractively displays the fruits and vegetables to be vended.

The invention claimed is:

A display and vending cabinet including a cabinet base an apertured compartment drawer slidably supported therein and co1nprising two chambers in communication with each other, container means in the lower and smaller of said chambers removahly supported by the drawer, the upper chamber being adapted to receive the contents to be vended, and the lower chamber adapted to receive the refuse from the upper chamber, means separating said chambers and adapted to support the contents to be rended and yet permit the dirt therein to be received by the container transparent means in the aperture of said contents receiving chamber for preventing access to the contents of the drawer yet permitting the same to be visible from without the drawer, and means adjacent the transparent means and within the chamber to protect the same from injury Within.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto aflixed my signature.

ELSWORTH E. BOONE. 

